Backup generators · Toronto & GTA
Generac standby generator installation in Toronto and the GTA
Keep the heat, sump pump, fridge and lights running through ice storms and summer outages. We size, install and service standby generators with an automatic transfer switch, so power comes back on its own within seconds.
Authorized Generac dealer · ID 1032962
Why GTA homeowners add a standby generator
A standby generator is wired into your home's electrical system and starts by itself when the grid goes down. Unlike a portable generator, there are no extension cords, no refuelling in a storm and no risk of back-feeding the lines.
- Your sump pump keeps running during heavy rain, when outages and basement flooding tend to come together
- The furnace keeps the house warm through a winter outage
- Medical equipment, a home office or a fridge full of food stay powered
- Power switches over automatically, even when you're away
What's included
- A visit to understand what you want backed up: essentials or the whole house
- Generator and automatic transfer switch sized to that load
- Pad placement that meets clearance rules from windows, doors and property lines
- Electrical installation, ESA permit and inspection
- Start-up, testing and a walkthrough of how it works
- Ongoing maintenance on request
Natural gas generators also need a gas line, which must be connected by a licensed gas fitter. We plan the electrical work around it and tell you exactly what the gas side involves.
Standby or portable
Why we install standby generators, not cords
Both make power in an outage. How they connect to your house is the difference.
| Standby generator | Portable generator | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | By itself, within seconds of an outage | By hand, once someone is home to do it |
| Fuel | Natural gas line or propane, no refuelling | Gasoline, refilled every few hours |
| Connection | Permanently wired through an automatic transfer switch | Extension cords, or a manual transfer switch or inlet installed by an electrician |
| What it can run | Essentials or the whole house, sized at the start | A few appliances at a time |
| Safety | Installed outside with set clearances, no back-feed risk | Must never run indoors or in a garage; a wrong connection can back-feed the grid |
| Permit | ESA permit and inspection | None for cords; ESA permit for an inlet or transfer switch |
Already own a portable generator? Ask us about a properly rated inlet and manual transfer switch, so it can power selected circuits safely instead of running cords through a window.
After the install
Generac maintenance and service
A standby generator can sit idle for months, then has to start on the worst night of the year. Generac units exercise themselves on a schedule, running briefly so a weak battery or a fault shows up early. That self-test helps, but it doesn't replace a service visit.
We recommend a service every year, and sooner after a long outage that kept the unit running for days. A typical visit covers:
- Oil and oil filter changed
- Air filter and spark plugs checked, and replaced when due
- Battery tested and its terminals cleaned
- Transfer switch checked, with a test that moves the house onto the generator and back
- Controller checked for logged warnings, and the exercise schedule confirmed
- Leaves, snow and debris cleared from around the enclosure and its vents
How it works
From site visit to first test run
Site visit
We check your panel, gas meter location and where the unit can sit, and agree what should stay powered.
Sizing and quote
A recommendation for generator size and transfer switch, with one written price.
Permits
We file the ESA permit and line up timing with the gas fitter.
Installation
Pad, generator, transfer switch and wiring installed, usually over one to two days.
Inspection and start-up
ESA inspection, a full test under load, and a walkthrough so you know what to expect in an outage.
Questions
Backup generators: common questions
What size generator do I need?
It depends on what you want running during an outage. Some homeowners back up essentials only (furnace, sump pump, fridge, a few lights and outlets). Others want the whole house. We look at your panel and how you use power, then recommend a size and a transfer switch to match.
Is your work guaranteed?
Every job comes with our 1-year workmanship warranty. Products carry their own manufacturer warranties on top of that, and standby generators can be covered by extended manufacturer warranties.
Do you take out the ESA permit?
Yes. In Ontario, the licensed contractor files the notification of work with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and books the inspection. We handle it on every job that needs one, and you get the ESA Certificate of Acceptance when the work passes. Keep it: insurers and home buyers often ask for it.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Marrast Contracting is a Licensed Electrical Contractor, licence ECRA/ESA 7016430, and every job is led by Shaldin Marrast, a Master Electrician. You can check our licence on the Electrical Safety Authority's contractor lookup at esasafe.com.
To price your job, send us
- Portable generator or a permanent standby unit
- The brand and model, or the size you have in mind
- Whole-home backup or selected circuits
- Photos of your panel and where the generator would go
Where we work
Backup generators across the GTA
We serve homeowners, builders and businesses across Toronto and the GTA.
- North York
- Toronto
- Forest Hill
- Etobicoke
- Scarborough
- Mississauga
- Vaughan
- Richmond Hill
- Oakville
- Caledon
- King
- Barrie
- Markham
- Aurora
- Newmarket
- Brampton
- Alliston
- Wasaga Beach
- Collingwood